Transformation Waco Chief Executive Officer Dr. Robin McDurham sent the following message to TW families and staff on Wednesday, October 25:
“Dear Transformation Waco Families and Staff,
Our contract with Waco Independent School District (WISD) ends in June 2024. As we transition operations of Alta Vista Elementary, Brook Avenue Elementary, J.H. Hines Elementary, and G.W. Carver Middle School to WISD for the 2024-2025 school year, TW will restructure as a nonprofit focusing exclusively on providing wraparound services to students and families in the community.
Transformation Waco is a community-driven solution for school improvement, formed to provide additional and needed resources to predominantly underserved and underrepresented students. Hundreds of local partners join school staff to give students the support they need throughout the school day and other aspects of their lives, whether academic or social-emotional. These wraparound services include free access to afterschool programming, visits with licensed counselors and social workers, eye appointments and glasses, summer enrichment and telehealth care.
Since beginning in 2018, our work has led to better educational outcomes for our students, including improved attendance and increased Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth in math and reading scores. The MAP test is given nationally to over 6.7 million students at the school year’s beginning, middle and end. The national average of students meeting their annual growth target is 50%, and in 2022-23, 52% of TW students met their targets. Students who receive wraparound services have unprecedented growth.
Of the 1,200 students who received one or more wraparound services–more than 60% of our enrollment:
73% met their annual MAP target
65% recovered at least one day or more of attendance and met MAP target
77% who received services from a community school specialist met MAP target
71% who received intensive intervention from a licensed clinical social worker met MAP target
81% who attended free AfterSchool Academies met MAP growth target
I am proud of our wraparound services, including creating and operating the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Vision Center; five years of free summer enrichment programming; our Novice Teacher Academy to support teachers entering the field; and our community school specialists at every school who work directly with families to meet their needs and increase student success. We look forward to continuing the work of our $2.5 million Department of Education Full-Service Community Schools grant to expand and establish new programs increasing student and family access to social-emotional, mental health and academic support.
My leadership team and I will provide opportunities for staff, families and students to ask questions and offer feedback on the transition of schools to WISD. Please know there will be no interruptions of services and operations during this school year. The Transformation Waco Board and leadership team look forward to continuing the amazing work this year and beyond. Thank you to the teachers, staff, parents/guardians, students and community partners who have made Transformation Waco what it has become today.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robin McDurham, Transformation Waco, Chief Executive Officer”